“Yes. Stay still now, my love.”
While the Devilles fought on, Monty pulled his knife from his boot and sliced through the binds on her hands and feet. He then lifted Iris off the table and lowered her to the ground.
“Find somewhere to hide!” he told her.
Someone hit him hard from behind, and he staggered, taking her down with him. Monty rolled and took the impact on his side.
“Run, Iris!”
He rolled and regained his feet. Out the corner of his eye, he watched her crawl away.
“She’s mine!” Renton growled.
“Iris belongs to no man, “Monty said. “I’m killing you for laying your hands on her, Renton, and for tormenting her and your nephew.”
He swung a fist and got Renton on the jaw again. “You are a greedy, sniveling bastard!”
Renton blocked his next punch and hit Monty in the cheek. The blow was hard, and he stumbled but didn’t retreat.
“She’s a woman and therefore nothing.” Renton spat the words at him. “The brat stood between me and what I deserved. I will have what my brother had!”
Monty kicked out with a booted foot and caught him in the stomach. Renton bent in half, and Monty followed it up with another kick to the jaw, sending him backward.
Before he could stop her, Iris sprinted by him in her nightdress.
“Bastard!” She kicked Renton hard in the side. Monty wrapped a hand around her waist on the fourth kick and lifted her away.
“That will do, my sweet. He will not hurt you or Henry again.” He carried her to a corner away from the fighting. “Put on my cloak and stay here.” He shrugged out of it and handed it to her.
“I don’t want to stay here.” Her eyes were unfocused, and she was blinking constantly. Had they drugged her? More anger fueled his need for revenge.
“Hello, Iris.”
“M-Mary?” Iris tried to focus on his friend’s face.
“Indeed, it is, and I’m pleased to see you are unhurt. The lip looks sore however.”
“M-Mary?” Iris blinked again.
“My guess is they drugged her,” Monty said. “Get her into that cloak, Mary.”
He moved back to join the others, but the Brothers of Faith were all subdued now and being bound hand and foot with various things from neckties to rope someone had found.
Renton had regained consciousness and was now leaning against a stone wall looking pale. Monty stalked closer; he had the urge to inflict more pain.
“You drugged her and hit her!”
“Don’t kill him. We want him to suffer. It will inflict more pain if he is humiliated and all his sins are laid bare for everyone to see,” Gabe said.
“You have nothing,” Renton hissed.
Monty bent at the waist and told him exactly what he had on the man. When he was done, Renton was weeping pitifully. Picton, however, was roaring like a boar.
“You will pay for this! All of you.”
Monty moved to stand in front of the man who had played a hand in destroying his life. He then raised his pistol.
“It will be over quickly if you do that, and he will not suffer as you have either,” Gabe said to Monty.
